Residency vs. Internship
The question “how long is residency” is one that seems to confuse almost everyone. Also, the idea of “what is a medical internship” is confusing as well. That’s because a medical internship is a completely different animal than a typical internship, say in business, public relations or social work.
Here’s the quick answer to both questions:
What is an Internship?
The first year of a medical residency is called an internship. Essentially, a first year resident is completing their medical internship.
How long is a residency?
Medical residencies last from 3-7 years in total. Most medical residencies are four years long, with surgical residencies being five years long. A neurosurgery residency is the longest, at seven years. Here’s a list of different residencies and their length:
Emergency Medicine | 3-4 years |
Family Practice | 3 years |
Internal Medicine | 3 years |
Pediatrics | 3 years |
Obstetrics-Gynecology | 4 years |
Pathology | 4 years |
Psychiatry | 4 years |
General Surgery | 5 years |
Neurosurgery | 7 years |
Orthopedic Surgery | 5 years (includes 1 year of general surgery) |
Otolaryngology | 5 years |
Urology | 5 years (includes 1 year of general surgery) |
Plastic Surgery | 6 years |
Anesthesiology | 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary |
Dermatology | 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary |
Neurology | 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary |
Ophthalmology | 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary |
Physical Medicine | 3-4 years |
Diagnostic Radiology | 4 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary |
Radiation Oncology | 4 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary |
Transitional/Preliminary | 1 year |
Thanks for checking out our post about “how long is a residency” and “what is an internship”! We hope it was helpful!
If you have questions about anything pre-med, post below, and we’ll get back to you!
Check out more of our pre-med posts below:
How do I go about choosing a medical specialty?
Will attending a top-tier medical school help me get a top-tier residency match?
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